Newspaper-holder.



0,1". KOBGKE. NEWSPAPER HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1910.

977,454. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

anuenfoz UTED STATES CHARLES FRED. KOECKE, 0F NEWARK, OHIO.

NEWSPAPER-HOLDER.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improvednews-paper and magazine holder of that type which supports the pagebeing read, in fiat or spread-out condition and may be readily held inone hand.

I One of the disadvantages common to most of such devices now in use isthat the paper clamping means is usually either adapted toclamp acomparatively thin news-paper or magazine, and i not readily adaptablefor use in clamping a thick newspaper or magazinc, and vice versa.

It is, therefore, one aim of the present invention to provide, in adevice of this class, a paper clamping means which will be equallyuseful in clamping both thick and thin news-papers and magazines andwhich will not mutilate the same.

Another disadvantage to be found in nearly all such devices is that thepaper and clamping means is complicated in its structure and embodiesclamping screws or similar elements which cannot be readily manipulatedeither to clamp or to release a news-paper or magazine, and it is,therefore, a further aim of the invention to not only simplify thestructure of the clamping devices themselves, but also to render themreadily operable for the purpose stated.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of anews-paper holder constructed in accordance with the present invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough taken on a plane fromfront to rear.

The device of the present invention embodies a staff 5 which at one endis formed with a rounded hand grip 6 and in its forward face is formedwith a groove 7 extending from its upper end to a point adjacent theupper end of the hand grip portion 6. The paper clamping member of thedevice is embodied in a resilient rod, preferably of heavy resilientwire, indicated by the numeral. 8, and this rod is pivoted at its lowerend, as at 9, in the lower end of the groove and may be swung so as tolie wholly within the groove, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, or may be swung out from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Serial No. 559,476.

groove, as shown in dash lines in the said figure. In the formerinstance, the rod will be in paper clamping position, whereas in thelatter instance, a news-paper or magazine initially clamped thereby willbe re leased. As stated, this rod 8 is resilient and between its pivotedend and the free extremity, it is bowed or flexed so that when swung toposition within the groove, it will bear at its intermediate portion,yieldably against the bottom wall 10 of the groove in the staif.Adjacent its free or upper end, however, the rod is slightly bowedforwardly, as at 11. When the rod is swung to lie within the groove 7,pressure must be exerted against the upper end of the rod tending tostraighten the rod against its tendency to flex or bend at itsintermediate portion, and owing to this fact, the said intermediateportion of the rod will bear firmly and yet not rigidly against thebottom wall of the said groove whereby to firmly bind the edge of apaper or magazine in the groove.

Owing to the fact that due to the resiliency of the rod, it has atendency to spring out from the groove, it is expedient that means beprovided for preventing such movement of the rod when the same is inpaper clamping use. This means, in the present invention, is embodied ina cyllndrical cap 12 which is fitted upon a cylindrical reduced portion13 at the upper end of the staff 5 and is held for rotation thereaboutby means of a securing screw or the like 14-. It will be observed thatthe groove 7, at its upper end, extends into this reduced portion 18 andalso that the upper end of the rod 8 projects into this portion of thegroove when the rod is in position in the groove as an entirety, and itwill further be observed that the cap 12 is formed with a notch 15adapted to come into registration with the said upper end of the groovewhen the cap is rotated whereby to release the rod, further rotation ofthe cap so that its notch will be out of registration with the saidupper end of the groove, when the rod is in the groove, serving toconfine the said end of the rod in the said portion of the groove andthereby restrain the entire rod from outward movement. In order that thecap may be conveniently rotated, it is provided with a bail or loop 16which may be grasped between the fingers for the purpose of rotating thecap and may also be used as a means for supporting the device from anail or hook when not in use.

Means is, of course, provided for supporting the news-paper or magazinein flat, spread-out condition and this means is embodied in a wire framewhich preferably projects to the right of the staff, although it mayproject to the left, and this frame is made up, preferably, of twostrands of wire, one of which strands is bent to open-sided rectangularform so as to afford top and bottom portions 17 and 18, respectively,and a vertical side portion 19 connecting the said top and bottomportions. The extremities of the said top and bottom portions 17 and 18are driven into the staff 5 adjacent the upper ends thereof,respectively so that this portion of the frame will be supported toextend to the right from the said staff. The other portion of the frameis similarly formed, but is considerably smaller, and its top and bottomportions 20 are non-parallel. The connecting portion of the strand ofwire from which this latter portion of the frame is made up, is securedto the side portion 19 of the first described frame, by a length ofcoiled wire 21 embracing the two said side sections.

YVhat is claimed is:

In a device ofthe class described, a staff,

the said staff having a reduced cylindrical portion at its upper end, aframe supported by the staff, the said staff being formed with a grooveextending lengthwise thereof, a resilientrod pivoted at its lower end inthe lower end of the groove, and adapted to be swung to lie within thegroove and be held therein. the said rod being bowed whereby to adaptits intermediate portion to bear against the wall of the groove, acylindrical cap fitted rotatably upon the reduced portion of the staff,a securing element fastened through the upper end of the cap and intothe upper end of the staff and holding the ap for rotation upon the saidportion of the statt, the cap constituting a means for retaining the rodin the groove and being formed with a notch adapted to register with thegroove to permit of swinging of the rod, and a bail carried by the cap,the said bail constituting a means whereby the cap may be rotated and ameans whereby the de-,

vice may be suspended.

In testimony that I clalm the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signa- 'ture in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES FRED. KOEOKE. I Vitnesses A. N. ANDERsoN, WM. R. SOHAU.

